Portsmouth, N.H – The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services Coastal Program is currently accepting applications for its 2012 competitive grant round. Through federal funding, the Coastal Program enables projects that protect clean water, restore coastal habitats, and help make communities more resilient to flooding and other natural hazards. Grants are offered on a competitive basis to eligible applicants, and at least a one to one match is required. No more than $40,000 will be awarded to any construction or land acquisition project, and no more than $30,000 will be awarded for any planning or management project.

The funds are available to the Coastal Program through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM), pursuant to the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972. This round’s total available funds are pending federal funding to OCRM.

Grant Application Information:

Application Submission Deadline – Two printed copies of the completed application and all associated documentation (including letters of support) are due at the Coastal Program office (address below) no later than February 6, 2012 at 4:00 p.m. An electronic copy of the application is also required and must be emailed to david.murphy@des.nh.gov or submitted on electronic media by the due date. Please limit file size to 10 MB. The application form with instructions is available on our website at www.des.nh.gov. Once on the NHDES homepage, click on the A-Z list on the upper right hand corner of the screen and scroll down to “Coastal Program,” to get to the Coastal Program’s homepage.

Eligible Applicants – Any of New Hampshire's 17 coastal zone communities (Dover, Durham, Exeter, Greenland, Hampton, Hampton Falls, Madbury, New Castle, Newfields, Newington, Newmarket, North Hampton, Portsmouth, Rollinsford, Rye, Seabrook and Stratham), Rockingham and Strafford County governments, the Rockingham Planning Commission, Strafford Regional Planning Commission, state agencies, departments within the University of New Hampshire and other institutions of higher education, coastal community public school districts, and nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply.

Projects should be independent of other work. Some examples of projects include creating water quality and stormwater ordinances; controlling invasive plant species; conserving land; constructing public access sites; and developing and implementing plans to protect infrastructure and resources from coastal hazards. For an inclusive list of eligible projects and detailed project selection criteria, please visit the New Hampshire Code of Administrative Rules Chapter Env-Wq 2000 (Grant Rules).

Geographic Requirement – Projects must take place within the boundaries of the coastal zone (the 17 cities and towns listed above as "eligible applicants") and/or have a direct impact on this geographic area. Planning and management projects may extend beyond the boundary if it can be shown that the project will benefit the area covered in the coastal zone.

Matching Requirements – Grants are awarded on a 50/50 matching basis. Applicants may provide more than 50 percent of a project's costs, however; in no case may the applicant provide less. Match may be in the form of either cash or in-kind services (e.g., donated municipal staff time, volunteer time, donated materials, donated mileage, etc.).

Maximum Grant Amount – Given reduced federal funding for this program, no more than $40,000 will be awarded to any construction or land acquisition project and no more than $30,000 will be awarded for any planning or management project.

Project Schedule – Projects may not begin prior to July 1, 2012, and must be completed by December 31, 2013. Extensions of the completion date beyond December 31, 2013 will be considered for projects demonstrating a special need, and will be subject to approval by NOAA and OCRM.

Public Hearing Requirement – Municipalities and regional planning commissions are required to hold public hearings prior to submitting an application.
Additional requirements for specific types of projects are described in the grant application, which is available on the Coastal Program website.

The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services Coastal Program provides funding and staff assistance to towns and cities, and other local and regional groups who protect clean water, restore coastal habitats, and help make communities more resilient to flooding and other natural hazards. The program’s efforts are focused on N.H.'s coastal watershed, an area that encompasses 820 square miles and 42 municipalities. The Coastal Program supports the region’s economy by helping to preserve the environmental health of the coast and Great Bay and Hampton-Seabrook estuaries for fishing and shellfishing, and assisting with the maintenance of our ports, harbors and tidal rivers for commercial and recreational uses.